FAQs

Will you place on inmate's profile on facebook or similar sites?

No. Inmatemingle.com never places an inmate’s information on sites such as these. Online communities like Facebook function when all parties have access to the Internet. We do not provide inmates with Internet access or anything similar to it. Our site is designed to function as a correspondence program (e.g., all of our mail is sent through the prison doors). Except for the few prisons that do allow inmates access, an inmate would have to have illegal access to Facebook using an unauthorized cell phone, unauthorized prison computer, etc. Cell phones are quickly becoming a rampant problem in prison today, and this is why you sometimes see inmates using sites like Facebook (an online site) instead of Inmatemingle.com (a correspondence site). It is because they have found access to do so, and most likely without the approval of their institution. While Inmatemingle.com does maintain its own Facebook Page, Twitter, etc., we never post an inmate’s information directly on those accounts. It is simply to keep our own social network and audience apprised of service updates.

I wrote an inmate. How long do I have to wait to get a reply?

Please be patient. Institutional mail typically moves about 3-5 working days slower than normal mail. Mail is rarely lost as long as it is addressed properly. International mail can take up to one week longer for delivery. If you emailed an inmate using our email forwarding service, messages are sent on the 4th and 20th of each month.

I would like to write a inmate pen-pal on Inmate mingle as a friend, but the inmate I want to write is looking for romance. Should I write them anyway?

Some inmates do place profiles on our website geared toward romance. While we strongly encourage them not to do this because it hinders their ability to get mail, we have found that most still welcome a pen-pal relationship.

Do I have pay for using your web site?

No! The pen pal ads you see here are paid by the inmates or by their family and friends.

Do prisoners have access to the Internet?

State and Federal Prisons do not allow computers, cell phones, tablets, or any device that connects to the Internet. An inmate caught in possession of such a device faces severe consequences. However, some institutions will allow their inmates to use services like CorrLinks or JPay to send and receive e-mail.

My letter to a prisoner was returned to me, as I didn’t have the barracks #. How can I get it?

The address that appears in the ad is what the prisoner has given us. We update the address when the prisoner writes and tell us about an address change. If they don’t write us with their new address we have no way of knowing it. The best way to get the complete address is to write to the prison office and ask for it. Include a SASE for them to reply back to you faster. You can also call the prison and ask their administration office.

My prisoner friend wants me to change their ad, can I do this?

Sorry, no. Only the prisoner can make any changes to their ad. They need to put their request in writing and mail it to our office. We do this to protect the privacy of their ad and make sure no one changes it when they do not so desire it.

What is the mailing address for Inmatemingle?

INMATE MINGLE P.O. BOX 23207 COLUMBIA SC 29224

Is inmatemingle.com a dating site?

The definition of a pen pal is a person with whom one keeps up an exchange of letters via snail mail, usually. So by definition inmatemingle.com is not a dating site. Sometimes people do actually meet and consider a relationship. This is a possibility with inmatemingle.com. Snail mail simply means you correspond through handwritten letters that require stamps and are delivered by the postal service. With letter writing the whole thing is centered around building up a relationship to another person one on one. Social media (forums) are more about transactional relationships. A transactional relationship is a relationship where both, or all, parties are in it for themselves. So being a pen pal with someone is somewhat intimate and cautions needs to be used and highly recommended.

Can inmates receive phone calls or make phone calls?

In many institutions they are allowed to make long distance phone calls. They are collect and are more expensive than regular collect calls. Inmates in the federal system can make non-collect calls to you. They pay for the calls through their account.